


Days of Love

by rubylily



Category: Girl Friends (Manga)
Genre: Canon Lesbian Relationship, Domestic Fluff, F/F, Illnesses, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-03-02 00:06:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2792588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rubylily/pseuds/rubylily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Akko and Mari, in sickness and in health.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Days of Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PenguinZero](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PenguinZero/gifts).



The last time Akko had gotten sick had been in her first year of high school, and she had been miserable enough then. She was even more miserable now, even if Mari would be the only one to see her in this state.

She rolled over onto her side with a groan, and she felt too hot with all these bed sheets over her, but she would be far too cold without them. She let out a heavy sigh; it had only been half a year since she had Mari had moved in together, and she had been hoping for at least a few years before she fell seriously ill like this.

At least it wasn't serious enough she had to go see a doctor, she told herself.

"Ugh…" she moaned as she reached out of the bed to feel for her phone. She hadn't missed a day of work yet, but if she tried to go out of the apartment like this, Mari would try to stop her, and she was too sick to try to argue with Mari.

The door opened, and Mari stepped into the bedroom. "Akko, how are you feeling?" she asked as she knelt at Akko's beside.

"Not any better." Akko sniffled. "Can you hand me my phone? It's in my purse, I think."

Mari nodded, and she carefully searched through Akko's purse, soon taking out a phone with a white beaded strap, which had clearly seen better days but was still precious to Akko. "Here you go," Mari said as she handed the phone to Akko.

"Thanks," Akko said, and her fingers tensed around her phone. "I really don't want to call off work. We've been super-busy lately, but I won't be making anyone feel pretty by sneezing and coughing over them."

Mari curled her warm fingers around Akko's. "It'll be fine. You'll be better in no time, I promise."

"Maybe I should just wear a flu mask…"

"Akko," Mari said firmly, and Akko knew that tone of voice very well.

With a gulp, Akko flipped open her phone and dialed her boss' number. She answered quickly (much too quickly, Akko thought), and Akko explained why she would not be able to come into work today, and her boss seemed strangely understanding. Once the call was finished and Akko had closed her phone, she let out a sigh of relief.

Mari smiled. "That wasn't so bad."

"I think she went easy on me because it's the cold season," Akko mumbled. "I probably shouldn't push my luck any further."

"I told you, you'll be fine soon." Mari pressed her hand - her warm, soft hand, Akko could not help but notice - against Akko's forehead. "It's just a simple fever. Nothing to worry about, I think."

"I sure hope so." Akko groaned. "I don't want to have to go to the hospital."

"Hm, maybe I should stay home with you, just in case."

"Huh?" Akko's face became warm, and not just because of her fever. "You don't need to go that far! You're meeting with your publisher today, right? And you've been working so hard on your new nutrition book!"

"But I can always reschedule…" Mari said as she turned her face away.

Akko reached out to touch Mari's soft hair. "Mari, you know me. I'm stubborn and thickheaded, so I'll bounce back no problem!"

A soft smile came upon Mari's lips. "But if you caught a cold, that means you're not as dense as you think you are."

"Mm-!" Akko cleared her throat loudly. "A-Anyway, we don't both need to miss work. I'll be fine, I promise!"

"All right, I believe you." Mari got back to her feet. "I'll make you some warm breakfast, and then I'll be off."

"Thanks, Mari. But, um, there is one thing I'm sad about."

"Akko? What's wrong?"

Akko pulled her blanket up to her chin and sulked. "I won't be able to kiss you until I'm all better."

Mari laughed, a gentle, quiet laugh. "Please don't worry. I'll be patient and wait for you to feel better. Now, let me get you something to eat." She smiled at Akko and then left the bedroom.

Akko leaned her head back and sighed again. One of her favorite things about living with Mari was sharing a bed together, but while she was sick, she knew it would be better for Mari to sleep on the sofa instead. The last thing she wanted was to get Mari sick, after all.

She ran her fingers through her frazzled hair. What kind of a couple couldn't be physically affectionate, even if it was only for a few days at the most?

Fortunately Mari retuned in what felt like no time at all, and she carried a tray with a glass of water and a bowl of noodles. She set the tray on Akko's lap, and she smiled. "Eat as much as you can, but don't force yourself to finish it if you can't."

"Don't worry," Akko said with a smile. "Your cooking is delicious, so I never have any problems finishing it!"

"Well, I'll be leaving now." Mari bent over and lightly kissed Akko's forehead; it wasn't the same as a kiss on the lips, but it was still good enough for Akko. "Text me if there's a problem, and I'll be home right away."

"I'll be fine, really!" Akko laughed. "You don't need to worry so much."

"All right." Mari's smile grew wider. "Take care, Akko."

Akko nodded. "You too. Come back safely."

"I will, I promise." Mari touched Akko's face for just a moment, and then she turned around and left the bedroom, leaving Akko all alone.

As soon as that door was closed, Akko missed Mari greatly, and she thought of calling out for Mari to come back to her, but she stayed quiet. She wasn't a child and she wasn't afraid of a little cold. She was a successful, hard-working adult now, and she would be fine on her own.

She still wanted Mari to burst through that door and hold her tightly, though.

Akko stared at her bowl of noodles. It did smell delicious, but she wasn't really hungry. However, Mari would worry if she didn't eat anything, so she slowly brought the noodles to her lips and chewed them carefully. The noodles were almost too warm for her, but just as delicious as she expected.

As she ate, she found herself constantly glancing at the clock, even though it hadn't even been a half-hour since Mari had left. Mari wouldn't be back until evening, but her eyes were still drawn to the clock. One minute passed. Then another. And then another.

Akko could almost slap herself. If she began to count down how long until Mari came home, she would go mad from boredom, and she wasn't that desperately bored yet.

And yet she had not felt this bored in a long, long time.

"Mari…" she muttered. Since moving in together Akko had rarely been alone in this apartment, as Mari usually came home before she did, and being able to come home to Mari waiting for her was more than she could have ever asked for.

Akko tapped her chin thoughtfully. Was this how Mari felt every time she waited for Akko to walk through that front entrance? What would Mari's expression look like if Akko were the one to say "Welcome home" for once?

But she still had a long time to wait before she could say those words to Mari.

"Ugh, this is so boring," Akko whined. "Mari, come home soon, please!"

She could watch some television, she thought, but it was all the way in the living room, and she didn't want to move from the comfort and warmth of her bed, and she decided against using her laptop as she was warm enough already without it heating up her lap. At least she still had her phone.

Her fingers tightened around it. It was relatively new, only a year old, but on it was the charm she had gotten in high school. Mari had a similar charm - hers was pink - and if the charms still looked cute and pretty, what need did they have for new ones?

Akko smiled as she browsed through the pictures on her phone. She didn't intend to call or text Mari - that would only worry Mari even more, she knew - but she could always manage to entertain herself with just her phone. She had so many pictures saved on it, and some were recent while others she had transferred from her old phone. Each one was a precious memory, and looking through them always lifted her spirits.

A picture of her and Mari at an aquarium. One of her and Mari with Mari's parents and brother. Them with Sugi and Tama during a high school reunion. Them at the wedding of Chiharu and her "prince." (Akko still wasn't sure of his real name, but she had to have known it once.) Them with their neighbors Kobayashi Nana and Fujimori Hitomi, and Akko often wondered if they were a couple like her and Mari, but she didn't want to accidentally out them by asking. However, perhaps when she and Mari finally married, she could invite Nana and Hitomi to their wedding, along with Sugi, Tama, Taguchi, Chiharu, and their families. It would be like a dream come true, and they could finally share that dream with others.

Akko let out a faint laugh. She and Mari only had to wait a few more years at the most, even if they were already married in all but name.

The longer she browsed through all the pictures on her phone, the further back into the past she went, and soon she came upon her favorite picture: one of her kissing Mari's cheek after their high school graduation and with the caption "Together forever."

Akko brought her phone closer to her lips. "I love you, Mari," she whispered.

When they were old women and their memories weren't as clear, they would always have these pictures to remind them of the happy life they had shared together.

And Akko still hoped she wouldn't fall ill like this too often. Even if she and Mari had their whole lives in front of them, she didn't want to waste a single chance to hold and kiss Mari, especially not during this cold season. After all, when she was cold, all she wanted was Mari's warmth.

Setting down her phone, she pulled the curtains from the window and glanced outside. It was overcast, although it had yet to snow at all. It was almost Christmas, and then it would be New Year's and Valentine's Day, and Akko had romantic plans for all the holidays.

She swung her legs off the bed and slowly and carefully stood up. She wasn't going to leave the bedroom, but there was something she wanted to get. She made her way to her dresser, where her jewelry box lay, and the floor felt unsteady beneath her feet while the room was spinning all around her.

But she pushed forward, and when she made it to her jewelry box, she opened it and pulled out a certain bracelet made of little stars. She smiled and brushed her lips against the bracelet.

She had received this bracelet from Mari on their very first Christmas as a couple, and that Christmas was still her favorite.

Once she had the bracelet around her wrist, a feat made different due her inability to see straight, she returned to her bed and fell upon the sheets with a _thump_. That little trip to her jewelry box had taken almost all of her remaining strength, and now she was simply exhausted. Napping would kill a few hours, she knew, but she wanted to stay awake so that she could for sure say "Welcome home" to Mari.

Akko curled up in the sheets and clutched Mari's pillow tightly. The scent of Mari engulfed her, and while it did comfort her a little, she didn't want to sleep alone for however long it took her to recover.

She shut her eyes and her heart pounded against her chest. Was it normal for couples to feel this way, or was she just acting like a needy child? She wanted to be strong and cool for Mari, to support her, but right now what she wanted most of all was Mari to hold her close and comfort her.

So she simply waited, and as hours passed she comforted herself with the memories she had created with Mari. Their first (real) kiss, their first date, their first time, their first real trip alone together (they had gone to Okinawa, and it had been much better than their school trip had been).

She flipped open her phone again as memories played over and over in her mind, and her favorite picture greeted her. She let out a giggle; she had always fantasized about finding true love when she had been a child, but the real thing was greater than any dream.

And when she did dream, she often dreamed of Mari and past days, and sometimes she could not tell dreams from memories.

She almost wanted to dream now, and her eyelids felt heavy as lead. It had gotten late, and a quick nap wouldn't hurt…

Footsteps seemed to rush toward her, and then the bedroom door suddenly burst open, revealing Mari, clearly out of breath. "Akko, I'm back!" she exclaimed.

Akko smiled; she had been waiting for this moment, and she was thankful she hadn't fallen asleep. "Welcome home, Mari."

"Oh, Akko." Mari walked up to Akko. "Are you feeling better?"

"A little bit. I was bored out of my mind without you, though."

"Well, I'm back now, so I can take care of you."

Akko leaned in close to Mari and, in a low voice, asked, "Were you too worried about me to concentrate on work?"

Mari blushed as she got to her feet. "Um, I'll prepare dinner now! I'll be quick, I promise!"

Akko could not help but laugh. "Thanks, Mari."

Mari managed a smile and tucked a strand of Akko's hair behind her ear (and her hair was so fizzy and tangled now and she was almost embarrassed to have Mari see her like this), and then she left the bedroom, leaving the door open a crack.

Akko let out a sigh of relief. She would have to do something really nice to make up for worrying Mari so much, she told herself.

True to her word, Mari returned quickly with food. She had gone for simple noodles again, and it smelled just as delicious. Once again she set the tray on Akko's lap and took her own bowl and sat on the floor beside the bed.

They mostly ate in silence, with Akko only asking a few questions about Mari's day and Mari answering that her book was coming along nicely. It was not an unpleasant silence, and Akko had grown fond of them. After all, it was simply nice to be near Mari like this, and she noticed that Mari's eyes were locked on the bracelet on her wrist.

When they were finished eating, Mari pressed her hand against Akko's forehead. "Your fever is still high," she said, concern clear in her bright eyes.

Before Mari could pull her hand away, Akko clasped it between hers. "But I'm feeling much better now that you're here," she murmured.

"But do you need any medicine?"

"Nah, I'm good. I really do feel better than I did this morning."

A faint blush came upon Mari's cheeks. "I should've at least left you something to read…"

"I still would've missed you." Akko held up her phone and opened it, showing Mari that picture of them together. "And there's a reason I have all these pictures of us."

Mari's eyes went wide. "Akko, that's-!"

"When we're old ladies, we'll look back on these times and laugh." Akko gently touched Mari's face. "And we'll still be together. We're never apart for long, you know."

Mari took out her phone, and she had the same picture as the background. "It's my favorite picture. I was so worried about you, I kept seeking peeks at my phone to reassure myself."

"It's my favorite picture too. When I'm feeling down, just imaging your smile is enough to make me happy again."

Mari's blush deepened; even in private, Akko noticed, she was still easily embarrassed, and it just made her even cuter. "Your smile makes me happy too, Akko," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Now it was Akko's turn to blush. "But I look so terrible right now!" she exclaimed as she yanked her bed sheets over herself. "Ugh, I hate being sick like this."

"You look fine, really." Mari laughed as she pried the sheets from Akko's fingers. "Everybody gets sick, and I don't think any less of you."

"But I can't hold you, kiss you, or make love to you like this…"

"It's all right." Mari touched Akko's face, and her hand was as warm and soft as always. "I'll still be with you, and when you're all better, we can, um, make up for lost time."

"You're so sweet, Mari." Akko pressed Mari's hand between her jaw and shoulder. "What would I ever do without you?"

Mari smiled, although her face was still bright red. "I could say the same to you."

For the rest of the evening Mari stayed with Akko. They talked about their plans for Christmas and New Year's. They talked about friends and family as well, and Akko wondered if she could convince Nana and Hitomi to become clients at her beauty salon. (Nana in particular had hair like Mari's, and Akko desperately wanted to style it.) Eventually their words began to blur together, and as Akko grew tired all over again, her eyelids became heavy once more and she could hardly see straight.

Akko laid her head upon her pillow. "It's gotten late, so I shouldn't keep you awake any longer."

"I'm thankful I have the day off tomorrow." Mari laid her hand on Akko's forehead. "I'll be able to stay with you all day."

"I'm not a child." Akko giggled. "But if it means you taking care of me, it's not so bad being sick."

"Do you want me to stay the whole night with you?"

Akko shook her head. "I'll be fine. I don't want to get you sick."

"Okay." Mari lightly kissed Akko's cheek and stood up. "Goodnight, Akko."

"'Night, Mari. Sweet dreams."

Mari smiled as she stroked Akko's hair, and she grabbed her own sleepwear and turned off the lamp and then left the bedroom.

As Akko closed her eyes, she already missed Mari's warmth and wanted to call her back. But she didn't want to be a burden and she could survive one night without Mari sleeping beside her. Even if the last time she had slept in a bed alone had been before she and Mari had moved in together.

Akko sighed. Was this yet another trial she and Mari had to overcome as a couple? Or was she just being melodramatic?

Eventually Akko did fall into some kind of sleep, and soon she dreamed of warmth engulfing her, especially her hand. However, as pleasant as that dream was, it was still a restless sleep, and when she forced her eyes open, she almost thought she was still dreaming.

Mari was kneeling at her bedside, clutched her hand tightly, and she appeared to be asleep.

"Oh, Mari," Akko whispered as she brought Mari's hand closer to her lips, and her bracelet jingled just slightly as she kissed the back of Mari's hand. "I love you."

Mari stirred, and a faint smile appeared on her lips. "I love you too, Akko…" she murmured.

Akko's fingers tightened around Mari's, and she closed her eyes once more. With her beloved Mari so near to her now, she could rest far more easily, and soon deep, restful sleep came over her.

Akko dreamed of holding and kissing Mari, and when she was no longer sick, she resolved to make that dream come true.


End file.
